I’ve been reading tons of threads here but I kind of just want some straight opinions on my situation
Anyway, I started CC when I was 18/19, took a year off recently, I’m 22 now. I did really bad at first, personal issues, economic issues etc. My GPA was terrible, got put on academic probation at the end. Now I’m getting As & Bs. I’m retaking a couple Fs that I received and my GPA is slowly but surely creeping up. I plan on doing Academic Renewal on a few classes and maintaining my high grades. I’m at the top of my classes right now.
My major is History and I would really love to go to UCI or another UC but I’m scared that I messed up too much as a teenager. Is my track record too crappy for UCs to even consider me? I know I can get my GPA up to the 3.5, I still have plenty of classes to take.
I just want to know if I’m kidding myself and if I should even keep my hopes up.
You can do it! Many CC students have a similar path to yours. Often, it becomes a center piece in their personal statements.
UC allows for grade replacement, meaning that if you repeat the class you get the D/F replaced. You can also TAG to UCI http://www.admissions.uci.edu/applicants/tag.html
assist.org will show you the pre reqs that you need to take, and https://uctap.universityofcalifornia.edu/students/index.cfm to submit your TAG.
Congrats on the upswing in grades!
I had a 1.8 GPA at my last school and I just got a full ride to Berkeley. Look at what Berkeley looks for in a transfer student and work towards that. The other UCs will want similar things.
would you mind sharing what you did? I’ve been researching like crazy but I like firsthand accounts.
luckie1367
Phew! very nice to hear positive words about this whole situation…my advisor keeps trying to push me into CSU system and I’m really not too interested. Definitely have been looking into the TAG, found out about it by lurking on here andmy advisor has never even mentioned it!!
Yeah…advisers are pretty hit and miss.
Definitely poke around and do your own research!
100% you can transfer to a UC. There’s the great story of the girl who’s advisor told her she should apply to Sonoma State and that was even a reach. He told her NOT to apply to UCLA. Guess what? She got into UCLA.
Yep it’s definitely possible. I had about 9 Fs and 7 Ws (I still have the Ws, lol) from 3 different community colleges before academic renewal. It wasn’t until about two years and a half years ago that I got serious about school and started getting good grades. I transferred to Cal last fall. The UCs are very forgiving if you have never taken classes at a 4-year university.
My advisor told me I didn’t have a chance at getting into any UC’s.
omg, cal is my dream choice…what was your GPA when you transferred?
3.27 Cal doesn’t seem big on GPA, you need to work toward your major outside of school. People with 4.0’s got denied.
4.0, but plenty of people get in with lower GPAs. If you really want to go there, I would suggest taking some fluff classes in addition to the ones that are required, to boost your GPA and try to get up to around a 3.7. If your cc doesn’t have any classes that you know would be automatic As, I can recommend some online classes you could take that are. Some people might think this is cheap, but sometimes you need every advantage you can get.
Also, don’t feel like you’re in a rush to transfer in a year or whatever it is. Take your time and make sure you do it right, you’re still young.
@sandiegorat I’m assuming you live in San Diego, what CC do you plan on attending?
@IWannaMakeDrugs hmm, I’m not sure if I would say Cal isn’t big on GPA. It’s the most important factor. It’s admirable that you got in with a 3.27 because you must have had an outstanding application outside of that, but it’s not really a formula others can repeat. I bet the odds of getting in with under a 3.3 are very low.
I agree. I think Berkeley is pretty big on GPA. They just look in to all aspects.
@IWannaMakeDrugs
Yeah, I’ve been looking into volunteer stuff for museums and the like. Thank you so much. Good to know that outside involvment will help me
@music1990
Sorry for all these questions but if I go over the transferrable credits number, do those classes still affect the GPA that UCs look at?
@i20hndc
its a certain college in the western of south 
haha, I’m currently at SWC and plan on staying there because I live close by
No problem, that’s what this site is for. To be honest, I assume so but I’m not really sure. You might want to call up admissions and ask. I’m sure others on this site know the answer too.
You definetly need a competitive GPA, but its clearly not a deal breaker like at UCSD. UCSD has a GPA cutoff line and is notorious for admitting people strictly on being above that line. I’m saying that what you do outside of school gets looked at by Berkeley. I had multiple 20-25 unit semesters so they probably figured I could handle Cal’s workload.
If there is still time, take all the summer classes you can! I took 3 easier classes (2 were online) over the summer, and that boosted up my GPA to a 3.53 from a 3.4. Take as many online classes as possible, because it saves a LOT of time. I was able to get 10 units in the course of 6 weeks. I very much preferred that to grueling 18 week classes, although the workload was much higher.
Also, look into petitioning classes you got C’s on. Meet with your counselor and fill out the appropriate paperwork.
Finally, props to you for getting back on track! 
If it makes you feel any better, I was in the same predicament, and was accepted to UCSD with a 3.45 GPA. Fortunately, colleges are mindful of these things and keep an eye out for upward trends.